Working 2 jobs how did you cope?

[postie]

Hi all
I'm guessing that a lot of you on here started out doing tiling alongside your main job when you first started. My question is how did you juggle the two and what did you tell your customers, if say for instance that you could only work weekends was you up front and told them you are doing tiling on the side or did you lie and tell them something else so as to make it look like this is your full time job .
The reason i ask is that do you thing it makes you look more professional if you give the customer the impression that this is your only job as oppossed to it looking like you just do a bit of diy on the side

[DevonR]

This is what I'm currently doing at the minute. I never lie to customers and the ones who have booked me understand I'm starting out, hell we all have to sometime. At the end of the day if you know your stuff and dont BS the customer most I would think will use their common sense.
Sometimes it's a pain however as I have lost week day jobs due to my situation as well, again I've been honest about it though.
Hope that helps.

[Varley]

I tatally agree with Dev on this one, I am in the same situation but i always make the customer aware of this, I show them my portfolio and let them decide wether me being part time makes a difference to the end result, I think you'll find it doesn't. Again like Dev though, there have been jobs i have lost because I can't make it during the week, on the other hand though, some customers have been thrilled that i'll be out weekends as it means they don't need to take time off work. So i guess it works both ways.

[wivers]

Let your work do the talking mate

[DevonR]

There's a good point being made above, in todays world people don't want to take time off to stay in to have a wall/floor tiled. Being able to work nights or weekends does have advantages. Obviously there are times when this is not good enough but if you have enough of this work coming in then it's time to go full time anyway.

[Elliott]

In the same boat and totally agree, is tiring but well worth it. Gives you a more happier at***ude at 9-5 job cos if you get the sack, you don't care, they've made the push for you!!!

[DevonR]

Originally Posted by Elliott

In the same boat and totally agree, is tiring but well worth it. Gives you a more happier at***ude at 9-5 job cos if you get the sack, you don't care, they've made the push for you!!!

You feel like that too

They'd be doing us a favour if they booted us.

[brian c]

Gave up my f/t job this week and have some work for the next month.I was taking toooooo many sickies i decided it was time to do the tiling f/t,so hopefully all goes well. just hope the keeps ringing. If you are serious about tiling as an occupation you need to have the balls to make the step in my opinion otherwise you will end up knackered with no life(f**K that).Ihope YOU make the correct decision.

[tony TLC]

when your earning more on the weekend and theres not enough time in the day. take a step forward and take the plunge and never look back just coz its called work it doesnt mean it has to be hard.keep smiling and tiling no sugar thx

[Varley]

Originally Posted by DevonR

You feel like that too

They'd be doing us a favour if they booted us.

I'll second that m8

[laurami tiling]

yes it can be a bummer at times , i work a 6 till 2pm shift every day so this leaves me with with 4 hours ish a night to tile and weekends ,
be upfront with people from the off cause ive never lost a job yet on account of working pattens , plus i actually got 2 jobs when the customer found out i was part time ,hers and her daughters ,suited them best evenings and weekends .
but it does get very knackering but i found the tile shops (topps and tile it all) were even more helpful to me cause i was starting out ( had 1 job of each of em )

so keep cutting n fixing lol and count the benefits